


birthday blues

by shepherd



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Sex, Happy Birthday Gladio, M/M, Oral Sex, every tag that follows is only a little but still needs to be tagged/rated, kinda wanna do more for this au but idk yet!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 03:31:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18327758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shepherd/pseuds/shepherd
Summary: Ignis had a careful plan for Gladio's twenty-first birthday, but not everything can always go the way he wants it.-“Seven dollars each from the airline,” he murmured, with a wry look. There was a flush high on his cheeks, a wild muss to his hair. “That money together almost could cover one sandwich between us.”“Sounds about right,” Glado said dryly, and watched Ignis settle back unhappily. The back of the seat reached barely any higher, hard against Ignis’ sharp shoulder blades. The man was all angles and hard lines. He heaved a great sigh as he sat, not the first nor the last of many, his glasses askew. “Any updates…?”Ignis looked at him, exasperated, and Gladio laughed quietly as so not to disturb those resting around them.





	birthday blues

**Author's Note:**

> god okay so. i thought gladio's birthday for the fourth of april because i'm the absolute worst. i did my absolute best to finish and edit this. it's not really up to my standards but i feel i can't do anything more with it. i really hope you enjoy it anyway!
> 
> happy birthday gladio!

With a pleasant, gratuitous stretch of his legs, Gladio experienced relief for all of five seconds. He grunted softly, hyperconscious of all the exhausted bodies crowded in around him, careful not to nudge anyone’s property with his boots. He balanced his novel on his lap and closed his eyes, letting his head drop backwards heavily. It wasn’t precisely comfortable. The rows of benches were metal, not unlike grates, and the support of the back didn’t make it anywhere near his shoulder blades.

Now his ass was going numb. Shifting around or sitting on his jacket barely helped, and in the surprisingly modest boarding lounge there was very little room to pace. Families were sprawled all around the seat, bored couples staring into nothing and suits with laptops working their Friday evening away with glazed eyes. Musicians clogged up the walkways with their cases and students on their gap year packing light were just as bad, curled up in the corners and dozing. Each of them were grumpy, tired, and still waiting a full five hours after they were supposed to have left for Cork. They had all muttered and complained at one point or another to the extent that Gladio had given a long sigh and slipped his headphones over his ears. Anything was better than hearing constant complaints about staff that could do nothing more than apologise, last minute safety checks and issues entirely out of their control.

God only knew what they could do about this unholy mess. A long flight was ahead of them and it had been extended by five hours in one of the smallest airports Gladio had ever known. A bookshop or a Wendy’s would have been welcome. Instead there was a newsagents, a perfume department, and a bistro that, Gladio had seen on his first adventure to salvage the numbness of his behind, was horrifically expensive. He had temporarily had ownership of a charger port, a long time past, and now his phone flagged at thirty six percent -- texts leaked in at first, stunned emojis upon hearing of his plight, then laughter as they wished him a very happy twenty first indeed, trapped in a tiny airport depressingly late at night. Gladio’s unexpected gift was reorganization, a dozen different things falling out of their careful schedule. Their airport pick up would be useless, and yet was not responding to calls and replacements would be laughably expensive even for Gladio’s bank. Visits to friends and family may have to be rescheduled, reservations certainly cancelled. That was of course if they ever arrived at all. And no matter how frustrated Gladio felt on this Friday, today of all days, he knew there was one taking it harder than most.

Ignis had been missing for almost twenty minutes. A venture to the bathroom must have turned into something more. A part of Gladio knew that Ignis had likely splashed water onto his sallow face, stared into the mirror, and regretted everything in his life that had led him up to this exact moment. Perhaps he went looking to scrape together a meal with the few dollars he still carried with him, most preemptively converted to euros, and the vouchers a deeply apologetic airline assistant had pressed into their hands. Not that they would do much for them. It was a very small comfort for Ignis who had been nursing a migraine since an hour past their intended departure time, and Gladio had been truly thrilled to be able to watch darkness seep into Ignis’ very soul in real time.

Gladio exhaled and looked up, scanning the crowd for his boyfriend. People milled back and forth, the condemned mixed with the happiness of the people travelling undisturbed. The shops were still open though not for much longer at this late hour - a glance at his phone told Gladio it was damn near ten and he had received three more snaps. No doubt his friends out drinking, eating, delighting in the beginning of another weekend. Gladio tried very hard not to think about it, and concerned himself with the future, everything he and Ignis were going to be able to do together once they were free.

The entire wall to his right was pure glass, and before Gladio had been able to entertain himself watching the planes glide and reverse across the runway, bathed in the gorgeous New York sunset. He clutched Ignis’ hand, the both of them close to vibrating with anticipation and wearing matching smiles, just one more happy couple amongst many. Ignis had happily joked, picking at his premade lunch that they shared, and dreamed of having a whole weekend almost exclusively to themselves. Gladio would cherish every single second of Ignis’ undivided attention, make him never want to leave the quiet cabin Ignis had picked out for them, but now all he wanted to do was sleep. Heavy lidded eyes were hard to keep open.

Fortunately it didn’t take much longer to spot Ignis throughout the mess. A tall, darkly dressed figure stepped out from the travellers who bustled, sulkily wraithlike. Stepping past suitcases and lagging children without a word he stalked forward. He clutched a small paper bag and Gladio could see the cartoonish thunder clouds over his forehead.

In an attempted to lighten his mood, Gladio sat up and smiled as brightly as he could manage in the circumstance. He pushed his carry on and forgotten book to the floor so ignis could retake his uncomfortable seat, calling out a greeting softly and pulling away his headphones, but Ignis couldn’t manage even a waylaid smile.

“Seven dollars each from the airline,” he murmured, with a wry look. There was a flush high on his cheeks, a wild muss to his hair. “That money together almost could cover one sandwich between us.”

“Sounds about right,” Glado said dryly, and watched Ignis settle back unhappily. The back of the seat reached barely any higher, hard against Ignis’ sharp shoulder blades. The man was all angles and hard lines. He heaved a great sigh as he sat, not the first nor the last of many, his glasses askew. “Any updates…?”

Ignis looked at him, exasperated, and Gladio laughed quietly as so not to disturb those resting around them. A little girl leaned against her prone father, snoring softly. Ignis unpacked his bag, handing over a bottle of lemonade and a wrap - tuna and onion, it claimed, and Gladio’s long grumbling stomach felt relief finally.

“Thanks, Igs,” he murmured, and slung an arm around the back of Ignis’ seat, and kissed his temple. The man rumbled softly, leaning into his embrace for a moment before unwrapping the cling film around his own sandwich, a bottle of water over his lap. Another bottle of advil was alongside it, already opened.

“The sandwich alone cost sixteen dollars,” Ignis stated, like he was discussing the weather beyond, and Gladio winced. While Ignis wasn’t the most extreme penny pincher, his lifestyle forced him frugal to an extent Gladio could never truly understand. Couponing like it was a sport, rolling up his toothpastes with remarkable care to make sure not a single use was missed. That wasn’t a purchase made lightly.

“Worth it if it makes you feel any better,” Gladio replied, and took a firm bite. Actual food, real food, not skittles or twizzlers was deeply satisfying though it could never hold a candle to the sandwiches Ignis had made for them earlier. He groaned a little, and Ignis huffed with weak laughter.

They sat in a companionable silence as they ate. The room was cold thanks to the wall of glass and the air conditioning, the warmth of the mass of people making little difference. Gladio had shed his jacket for comfort but still wore his thick, padded winter coat. Ignis was a pleasant warmth by his side nonetheless, still in his own woolen trench coat, and Gladio wanted to shuffle closer. What he truly wanted was Ignis sprawled on his lap wearing so much less, content and sleepy against his chest, for once able to get a full night’s rest. At this rate, if he were lucky, Ignis might snatch a few hours on their flight.

There was a sizeable piece of onion amongst a chunk of dry tuna. Gladio pulled a face, but didn’t risk any complaint in fear that Ignis might see and sour any further. He took an unappealing bite as Ignis picked only half heartedly at his BLT, the lettuce limp and the bacon seemingly non existent. 

Occasionally calm voices would make announcements over the loudspeakers. An hour or two past their time they made the two of them perk up, reach for their bags and talk amongst each other hopefully, share their own little secrets from their fellow travelers. But the tannoy never amounted to much. Other flights came and went undisturbed. Ignis shrank further and further into his seat, mortified at how poorly their romantic weekend was going, and even Gladio’s generous patience was beginning to run dangerously thin.

But Ignis was truly bleak. Ever since the surprise trip had been booked months ago, Gladio’s Christmas and birthday presents merged into one he had been planning, pulling any string necessary to make it perfect. God only knew how long Ignis had saved and scrimped with his modest wage, most of his money going towards his food, rent, and far too expensive law textbooks. Gladio shuddered to think of the teeth and favours Ignis had pulled to be able to spend Gladio’s birthday with him for once, rather than caught up in work like the years past. Such enthusiasm for Gladio’s birthday weekend was infectious. At work Gladio opened up emails from Ignis containing the link to their comfortable remote cabin and the elegant restaurants Ignis had been visiting for years, his parents having moved to the island as part of their early retirement. Markets, cathedrals, all the stuff Gladio had dreamed about seeing for real - not just reading about or talking vaguely of trips to Europe in the knowledge he had no time. But Ignis had made the opportunity for him, no matter how busy he was, and Gladio was touched. Still was, and it would be their first break away together as a couple. No parents, no friends - and they were stuck in Newark still, nowhere near Ireland, and Gladio’s twenty first was admittedly falling flat.

But as long as Ignis was close at hand, Gladio could never really complain. Ignis brought a light and peace into his life, as unaware as he was.

Gladio kept up the smile, for Ignis’ sake. Nudging Ignis’ slumped, lifeless shoulders he grinned, brandishing his wrap. It had made his mouth run dry. “No candles for the birthday boy?”

Evidently it was the wrong joke to make. Ignis groaned a touch too loudly, drawing half a dozen unhappy eyes, and covered up his face. “I’m sorry,” he said, muffled and despairing. “This has gone… completely to shit. This wasn’t what I wanted for you. I’m sorry.”

“Igs,” Gladio said, close to scolding like he was back with his students again. He shimmied closer. It had been hard to settle his thicker thighs into such a small seat but he cared little about how the arm rests dug into him, looking only towards Ignis. Gladio’s eyes were only ever for Ignis now. “Come on. Don’t worry about it, it’s not all that bad. I’m sure we’ll be on our way soon.”

“You’ve been saying that for the past four hours,” Ignis shot back testily, glowering at seemingly nothing at all as his hands slipped down his tired face. Frustration at himself, disappointment at the mess that had been made of his plans, anger that so much was completely out of his control. A single mouthful had been taken from his sandwich. That was all he could stomach. His long legs crossed and uncrossed, deeply unhappy. “And yet! No clue of when we might leave, let alone when we might arrive. On your landmark birthday, no less. We had only a weekend, and now less.”

Ignis’ gorgeous face was creased. Gladio hated to see even the slightest edge of discomfort. Tonight he was physically and emotionally drained from all the waiting underneath the harsh lights, migraine pulsing. For too long he had been pulled apart between the demands of his complicated studies and unappreciative job, and the social life normal for once his age that he desperately longed for. Sometimes Ignis didn’t seem to understand that not everything was obtainable at once - it was a careful balancing act, and Ignis was a marvel to have come so far without everything crashing down around him. But sometimes things wavered, and Ignis never took those moments well. He saw his body’s limits as a flaw rather than a way to keep him safe.

When he was trapped in one of those dismal moods, Ignis’ special few knew how to step in. Prompto would call from cross country, carving out time to see his big brother even for just a day or two as soon as possible, and even the promise of seeing him again did wonders for Ignis’ mood. Noctis would pull his own favours and get work off Ignis’ case, push away everything that Ignis claimed he needed to catch up on, and lay down the ground rules -  _ no leaving the apartment, no checking your phone, no cooking _ . After a few hours of quality time with Noctis Gladio would finish at work, shepherd all the kids out to their parents and quickly clean up the playrooms, and then possibly break a few speed laws getting over to his boyfriend. Then he’d take him home to Gladio’s apartment, rub his tense shoulders, simply lay out with him in bed. Whatever he wanted. Anything to see the beginnings of a smile again.

That mood was settling in, making itself firmly at home, and Gladio wasn’t having it.

“None of that,” Gladio interrupted smoothly, and even dared to tweak Ignis’ angular nose. It barely seemed to bother Ignis, too lost within the depths of misery. “C’mon. We’ll be in Ireland by morning. Promise.”

Ignis shot him a firm look. Those eyes behind those glasses were shadowed. “Are you going to carry me across the water, Gladio?”

“If I have to,” he rumbled, and leaned in to kiss his cheek, nuzzling him affectionately with his nose. He did so until Ignis opened up even just an inch, cracking a tiny but significant smile and shifting in his seat, only a little reluctant to be touched so sweetly in front of so many strangers. The tension kept his shoulders tightly drawn. But he permitted another kiss, and didn’t even draw away when Gladio blew a tiny raspberry against him, close enough to whisper, “You’ll sleep through the flight. I’ll carry you from the airport all the way to the cabin - fuck the taxi. We’ll stay in bed, maybe start drinking at lunch, gorge ourselves silly, and I’ll suck your cock until you’re screaming, okay?”

Ignis couldn’t help but stutter in surprise, stern face crumpling entirely as he helplessly snickered at the thought. Pale hands pressed against Gladio’s chest and pushed firmly. “Gladio!” he scolded, but that brilliant smile lit anew wouldn’t budge. Glancing around and satisfied no one nearby overheard their filth, he lowered his own voice and murmured, “That’s supposed to be my job.”

“Plenty of time for everything you want to do to me and more,” Gladio mumbled, close enough to his ear to have Ignis’ downy hairs standing on end and Ignis huffed, a pretense of aggravation, but Gladio knew hunger and delight when he saw it. Seeing the frustration ebb away Gladio struck at the widening opening - reaching out, he turned his palm to rest his knuckles against Ignis’ jean clad thigh. There was no pause. Ignis immediately took it. Despite the clamminess of his hand it was a pleasant weight.

Gladio leant his head against Ignis’ shoulder, exhaling softly. Stretching out his legs, ignoring the dull throb of the arm still wrapped around Ignis’ seat, he sighed. “I’m just glad you’re here. Doesn’t matter where we are. Long as you’re around, it’s a birthday I won’t ever forget.”

With a pleasant if wholly disbelieving hum, Ignis squeezed his hand. Tipping his own head he squished his still soft cheek against Gladio’s mane of hair. “I’ll make this all up to you,” he vowed, and the hand that still lingered on Gladio’s chest rubbed, fingertips catching on the low scoop of Gladio’s neckline. Softness rubbed against the faint lines of Gladio’s almost complete tattoo, brushing across the feathers, rubbing his thumb against the eye of the falcon. “I’ll try to get another weekend off and take you somewhere lovely. I’ll do my best. I’m sorry, Gladio.”

“Don’t be,” Gladio assured him, and took ahold of that had. Drawing it up, he pressed a soft kiss to his sweaty palm. “Don’t stress. You by my side is more than enough.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been so absent,” Ignis apologised still. Every part of their bodies were sorry - and Gladio knew Ignis’ especially, his feet no doubt sore and blistered from new shoes and stomping around campus, rushing between offices. But Gladio knew if he could keep up the charm odds were good that they could share a soothing bath, and perhaps Ignis would settle down so much that he would accept the offer of a long foot rub. Upon looking at the links and photos Gladio had made a very special note of precisely how large their bathtub was - Ignis had no doubt picked it specially.

“It’s not your fault,” Gladio told him firmly, banishing each thought of Ignis sighing in pleasure as Gladio pressed his thumbs carefully against his sore feet, and instead laced their fingers together. Whenever he breathed in he could smell Ignis’ cologne, amber and cedarwood, a gentle touch of the most expensive stuff he could afford to be able to impress. It mixed with his conditioner, cucumber fresh and inviting. “Handsome man like you, with a brain like yours? I get it. You’re in high demand.” Hard as it was, with his lover constantly too and fro, all too often out of state for work or even sometimes a different country - Gladio would snatch time where he could.

Ignis had closed his eyes. The meals on their laps were forgotten, abandoned. Gladio ignored how his lemonade rolled off his slack lap, striking the floor hard. The world around them spun on, frustrating and slow, but they would bear it together. “I love you, Gladio. Happy birthday, despite it all.”

Gladio smiled, almost at peace. His awkward positioning played havoc on even his young body, and he knew he would regret their closeness come the morning. But as Ignis murmured, thoughtlessly shuffling closer until his advil and water fell too, Gladio knew most of him would regret nothing at all.

“Love you,” he said, and everything past Ignis melted away.

 

-

 

_ (As undeniably sore as he was come morning, pain tugging at his muscles whenever he dared attempt to move even in their large and comfortable bed, it was Ignis’ mouth that stirred him in the rich morning light, and drove him to distraction enough to not care. _

_ Warm hands pressed his thighs apart as soft, plump lips kissed a path down the heaviness of Gladio’s stomach. The air in the room was cool, soothing, but Ignis’ touch was fire itself. Gladio thought of the joke, thought of the adorable curl of Ignis’ lips at the ridiculousness of it all, but the words stuck in his throat as Ignis softly kissed the base of his still soft, but stirring cock. _

_ “Iggy,” Gladio rumbled, voice emerging like his throat was full of grit, and between his legs Ignis rumbled with pleasure. _

_ “I was hoping you might be kind enough to allow me a birthday redo,” he purred, fingertips rubbing pleasantly against the thick muscles of Gladio’s thighs, and licked a long stripe up the length of him, tongue hot and determined. _

_ There was nothing Gladio could do but let his legs fall apart and moan.) _

  
  



End file.
